Alice in Dream(?)land
by ManiacMitani
Summary: In a world of magic and wonders, nothing can be truly perfect. A different ALICE falls, and each of them have their own ends. The newest ALICE, however, seems to be different from the rest of them.
1. Chapter 1 - Welcome to Wonderland

Hello, everyone! I will say that this is my first time publishing any of my stories, so please be completely honest with me when criticizing! Anyway, enjoy~!

 _ **Chapter One - Welcome to Wonderland**_

" _ **Not a single breath in the distance, huh? Interesting, hehe! Buuut~ I heard that a new**_ _ **ALICE**_ _ **will be joining us soon, right Hatter?**_ _ **"**_ A swish of the tale, and a flick of the golden wristband, the Cheshire Cat looked down from a tall willow tree; bearing huge purple flowers and fruit that's free for the taking. A faint breeze and the smell of fresh cake lingers through the air like a silky ribbon on a beautiful kimono in the afternoon festivities. He looks upon his dear friend as he flicks his tail back and forth in a sort of rhythm with the small trickles of water hitting a nearby pond. " _ **Well, my dear kitty! I do believe you were eavesdropping on my conversations with Mr. Spade again, right?**_ " The Mad Hatter began to swing a small teacup around his index finger and giggle like a child. " _ **You really shouldn't do such things unless you want to end up as a decorative rug in some poacher's riverside home in the human world.**_ " " _ **Whoa now, no need to go that far. I was just having a small thought that it might be fun to listen to you for a moment, that's all. And besides…**_ " The Cheshire Cat leaps down from his position and starts circling the older male. " _ **Even if a new**_ _ **ALICE**_ _ **were to come along, I wouldn't care. Sure, I'd keep an eye on her and annoy her from time to time, but you have to remember one important thing.**_ " He stopped next to the Hatter and leaned close to his ear. " _ **No matter what**_ _ **ALICE**_ _ **may come here, I'll always hate them. Every last one. Each of them will have a slow, painful death, that's for sure...**_ " He let out a small sigh and backed away; suddenly looking to the ground in a sort of sorrowful way. " _ **My, is something bothering you? It's not like you to be so down in a sudden leap of the throat.**_ " The Hatter pet the Cheshire Cat's head and smiled softly down at the younger male. " _ **Lukas, why don't you tell me what happened in your past? Why do you have every**_ _ **ALICE**_ _ **? Don't you think at least one is different from the others? Or…**_ " He lightly grabbed the Cat's right hand and kneeled down to look in his crimson eyes. " _ **Did an**_ _ **ALICE**_ _ **do something that stuck with you all this time…? Please, you know you can tell me anything… I'm always here for you, and you know that.**_ " By this point, the Cat was nearly in tears. Seeing this, the Hatter gently leaned the younger of the two against his shoulder and hugged him tightly. One hour would pass, then it would be two, and soon five hours had passed in complete silence from the Cat. Every now and again, the Hatter would gently stroke the back of his head and say " _ **It's okay, I'm here.**_ " He always was there, after all. When Cheshire would need to vent to someone, he was there. Whenever he was bored and wanted to talk, he was there. Even in the night when Cheshire would snap awake due to his night terrors and scream, he was always there to hold him and tell him " _ **It's alright, I'm here for you.**_ " After another hour or so passed, the younger male huffed and look at his elder. " _ **Geez… you really are a boner-blaster, aren't you…?**_ " Slightly turning a shade of pink, he pushed the Hatter away from him and scoffed at him. " _ **You'll never get a girlfriend with that kind of attitude- all girly and caring… well, I guess you could stay caring for them-**_ " " _ **But I don't WANT anyone else. Lukas, I already told you-**_ " The younger of the two sighed and looked up at the tree he had just been on a few hours ago. " _ **Well… could you at least sing that song? You know-**_ " " _ **The song I used to sing back then? When will you get tired of it, huh?**_ " The Hatter let out a small chuckle and began to hug him once more. " _ **Why, I could never get over it! Besides, it's my favorite song in the whole world!**_ " Cheshire looked at him with a look of confusion for a few moments, then opened his mouth. " _ **Why do you even like that song? I only-**_ " " _ **It's my favorite because you're singing it, Lukas. So, can you? Please?**_ " The Chesire Cat began to blush as he sighed and walked over to the tree; leaning on it when he approached it. " _ **F-fine…**_ " He took a deep breath and began to sing…

 _ **-Kitto boku wa tazuneraretandarou**_

 _ **Umareru mae dokoka no dareka ni**_

 _ **Mirai to kako dochira ka hitotsu wo**_

 _ **Mireru you ni shite ageru karasa**_

 _ **Dochi ga ii? Dochi ga ii?**_

 _ **Soshite boku wa kako wo erandandayo**_

 _ **Tsuyoi hito yori, yasashii hito ni**_

 _ **Nareru you ni, naremasu you ni to**_

 _ **Omoi de tte nandaka wakaru you ni**_

 _ **Tsudukete dareka san wa boku ni iu**_

 _ **Ude mo, aishi mo, kuchi mo, mimi mo, me mo**_

 _ **Shinzou mo, oppai mo, hana no ana mo**_

 _ **Futatsudutsu tsukete ageru kara ne**_

 _ **Iidesho? Iidesho?**_

 _ **Dakedo boku wa onegai shitanda yo**_

 _ **Kuchi wa hitotsu dake de iindesu to**_

 _ **Boku ga hitori de kenkashinaiyou ni**_

 _ **hitori to dake kisu ga dekiru you ni**_

 _ **Wasuretai, demo wasurenai, konna omoi wo nanto yobu no kai?**_

 _ **Sukoshi fukigen na kao no sono hito wa**_

 _ **Mata shikata naku hanashi hajimeta**_

 _ **Ichiban daiji na shinzou wa sa**_

 _ **Ryoumune ni tsukete ageru kara ne**_

 _ **Iidesho? Iidesho?**_

 _ **Matamata boku wa onegaishitanda**_

 _ **Osore irimasu ga kono boku ni wa**_

 _ **Migigawa no shinzou wa iri masen**_

 _ **Wagamama bakari itte sumimasen**_

 _ **Boku ni taisetsu na hito ga dekite**_

 _ **Sotto dakishimeru toki hajimete**_

 _ **Futatsu no kodou ga chanto mune no**_

 _ **Ryougawa de naru no gawa karu you ni**_

 _ **Hidari wa boku no de, migi no wa kimi no**_

 _ **Hidari wa kimi no de, migi wa boku no**_

 _ **Hitori ja doko ka kaketeru you ni**_

 _ **Hitori de nado ikiteikanai you ni**_

 _ **Wasuretai, demo wasurenai**_

 _ **Konna omoi wo nanto yobu no kai?**_

 _ **Mune ga sawagashii, demo natsukashii**_

 _ **Konna omoi wo nanto yobu no kai?**_

 _ **Souieba saigo ni mou hitotsu dake**_

 _ **Namida no opushon wo tsukeyou ka**_

 _ **Nakutemo zenzen shishou wa naikedo**_

 _ **Ryoutou dakaratte tsukenai hito mo iru yo**_

 _ **Dousuru? Dousuru?**_

 _ **Soshite boku wa onegai shitandayo**_

 _ **Tsuyoi hito yori, yasashii hito ni**_

 _ **Nareru you ni, naremasu you ni to**_

 _ **Taisetsu tte nandaka wakaru you ni**_

 _ **Jaa, chinami ni namida no ajidake doomo**_

 _ **Kimi no suki na aji wo erandeyo**_

 _ **Suppaku shitari, shoppakushitari**_

 _ **Karaku shitari, amaku shitari**_

 _ **Doredemo suki nano wo erande yo**_

 _ **Dochi ga ii? Dochi ga ii?**_

 _ **Nozomi doori subete ga kanaerareteiru no desho**_

 _ **Dakara namida ni kureru sono kao chanto misete yo**_

 _ **Saa hokorashige ni misete yo**_

 _ **Hontou ni arigatougozaimashita**_

 _ **Iro iro otekazu wo kakemashita**_

 _ **Saigo ni hitotsu dake ii desu ka?**_

 _ **Dokkade oai shita koto arimasu ka?-**_

…

A short while after he was finished singing, Cheshire realized that his elder had gotten unbearably close and was giving him the look of satisfaction. Hatter leaned closer to him; lightly placing a kiss on his lips, and backed away so he could begin making some herbal tea. The feeling of confusion was mixed with a sudden happiness at the constant new memory from the one he loved so dearly. Yes, he did love the Hatter. And the Hatter loved him back. Of course, it was never noticeable when others were around; only when they knew they were alone could they act however they saw fit towards each other. Just as the memory was placed away safely in his mind, a beam of blue and white light shot into the black sky. Cheshire's eyes snapped in the direction of the light, and his joy and confusion over the Hatter turned into pure and unrivaled rage. " _ **This is happening NOW!? You've got to be kidding me!**_ " He flicked his tail back and forth; faster and faster as his anger only grew more. " _ **I could go check it out, if you want me to. I wouldn't want you be face to face with an**_ _ **ALICE**_ _ **after all the crying you did earlier.**_ " Hearing this, the Cat quickly grabbed his elder's hand and glared at him. " _ **I refuse to let you go head-first into this.**_ " His voice became soft and barely audible as he looked at the ground. " _ **I've lost you once… I don't think I can do it again…**_ " His hand lost its grip and dropped down at his side as he kept his tone. " _ **No… I couldn't handle it… It'd be too much; just like it was the first time around… I know I'll give up this time...**_ " Without looking back up, he just simply laughs and turns back around at the light. " _ **I'll go. After all, it would throw off just about everything this world built up if the new**_ _ **ALICE**_ _ **saw the oddball Hatter before anyone else. In fact, I think the first person should be greeting her about now.**_ "

Near the Landing Location…

Personally, as the narrator, I don't believe that a simple _CRASH_ or _BOOM_ or even a _THUMP_ would be suitable for the varieties of different noises that came along with someone falling down. Along with the bits and pieces of the ground and some broken glass, lay the new ALICE; partially conscious, and partially tripping on the piles of twigs that lay with her. After some time of readjusting her balance, she tripped once again; only this time, faceplanting into the soft-to-rough ground. "O-ow… W-what is this place…?" " _This place, my dear_ _ALICE_ _, is Wonderland. You seem to have no memory of it; however, looking around wouldn't-_ " At that moment, there was no denying that her existence was known to the entirety of Wonderland. She let out a loud scream and backed away from the stranger; looking to her sides for something to protect herself with. Since he backed away quite a bit, she could tell that her "welcoming party" was a young male about the same age as her. "M-my, you startled me there! W-who are you, and where am I…?" _Well, if you haven't screamed…"_ The young man sighs and looks down at her. _"I would have told you that this world is Wonderland. You are this world's new ALICE, and I was sent to this location by the queen to greet you._ " He gives her a wry smile and holds out a hand to her; slowly yet surely feeling a sudden malice from her. "Oh, I see… Well, I guess having a rather attractive guy greeting me from the queen herself isn't such a bad thing. Now, why don't you tell me why I was chosen instead of any other girl in my world." She lightly grabbed his hand and pulled herself up; quickly adjusting herself a few comfortable feet away from the man, she looked around for a better view of her new surroundings. From what she could see, every tree had its own color; from blues and purples to reds and pinks, each was somewhat of a delight to the eye. She marveled at how each one even had their own twinkle and song to them as well; one shines dimly and plays calming lullabies, while another shines brightly and plays an upbeat tone as the wind blows through them. Whenever they play together, it's almost impossible to pick out what song is what; sometimes the orchestra of trees play "Cara Mia Bella," and other times you can faintly pick out "No Strings On Me" and a music box version of "Diary Of Jane." Her gaze drifted down to the grass, which wasn't really grass at all. Each blade was an individual piece of candy. Candy. Each and every blade of grass was made out of sugar. Just. Plain. Sugar candy. "What's with this place anyway? I mean… If there's cute guys like you here, what's the need for all of these sweets-" " _ **Well, maybe if you wouldn't be so picky**_ _ **ALICE**_ _ **, this wouldn't be a problem for you!**_ " Adjusting their gazes, the Rabbit and ALICE quickly looked into the dimly lit pure purple tree not too far from them. Seeing a black silhouette, ALICE backs away with a fake hint of fear. The Rabbit, on the other hand, walks towards the figure and grabs what appears to be a tail. " _Cheshire, would you please stop scaring her? She's the new_ _ALICE_ _, and I cannot really condone your attitude towards her already. Now then…_ " He tugged on the tail hard enough to make the figure lean to the point of almost falling out of his "hiding" spot. Now, I don't say "hiding" spot in a leisurely fashion. For this man, it was like his last line of defence before he has to go for an all-out attack on an opposing soldier. Quickly readjusting himself on the tree branch, he chuckled and lifted his tail near his shoulders. " _ **I don't need to listen to someone lower on the food chain now, do I~? Haha!**_ " He began kicking his legs back and forth, purposely knocking a few of the trees' fruit off in their direction. " _ **Look, I don't care who the new**_ _ **ALICE**_ _ **is, they're all the same to me! Each and every one of them are just sick freaks with nothing on their mind but hurting others! I mean-**_ " He points over to the smiling ALICE and flicks his tail in the air in a furious fit. " _ **You never SAW what each**_ _ **ALICE**_ _ **did! And yet you think you can just-!**_ " "That's quite enough, Lukas. You'll get the queen riled up with that kind of yelling." The sudden voice rung out like a wind chime in the middle of summer. Accompanying this voice, another cat appears in another tree, except this cat was a different color palette- He was sky blue, sakura pink and white instead of purple, red, and black. Seeing the other, Cheshire scoffed and let out a deep sigh. " _ **Dude, why are you even here? Won't sis be crying since you're not around her?**_ " "She'll be fine without me being there." The Cat began to crack a smile when he looked over to ALICE in a small amount of amazement. "My, ALICE's get younger every year, don't they? How old are you, miss?" ALICE looked around at her… erm… "Capturers", and smiled as wide as she could. She then proceeded to back away and turn her back towards them while bringing her hands in front of her stomach. "I'm 15. How old are all of you, if I may ask?" As if hearing this before everyone else, the Cat stepped closer to her by only an inch and raised his hand. "I can answer that for you. The Rabbit is 17, and as for my brother and I…" He glanced over before giving a small smirk to Cheshire and went on. "Are both 17 as well. We were all born on the same day, but we were born in different families and different regions. My brother and I were born in the Clockwork region, and Mr. Rabbit here was born in the Mayflower region." " _ **And, I might add…**_ " Cheshire stood farther away from her than the others and huffed at the thought of her knowing more about their personal being. His tail flicked back and forth, giving a sort of warning that if one thing annoying comes out of her mouth, he'll have no hesitation to strike her down. " _ **Clockwork HATES any**_ _ **ALICE**_ _ **that happens to come by. So if you think you're little Miss High and Mighty, you might want to climb back up to your world and cry to mommy and daddy that you got scared by some bear or something before you get fed to the Clockwork Dogs.**_ " "Lukas, that's enough of scaring the young ALICE! And besides, she hasn't-" Before he could complete his sentence, everyone fell quiet. ALICE, being confused, looked around at everyone; trailing her eyes to where theirs were aimed. As she did so, a chocolate and mint colored cat walks out from behind the bushes; rubbing her eyes as she inched closer, realized that her older brothers were there too. "Oh… So this is were you two wandered off to… It's not fair that you get to have fun with the ALICE that falls down here and I don't." She then began to yawn; her tail twitching in interesting direction and her ears flickering to the sides like a pointed fan. After regaining a small amount of her normal eyesight, she glanced at the ALICE that had arrived. "Oh… Fresh meat, I see. Lu, I'm surprised you haven't torn her to pieces yet. You're usually really into the whole ALICE annihilation thing every year." "A-ALICE annihilation!? What kind of sick joke is that!?" Silence fell once again after ALICE had bursted out. Everyone looked at her, then at Cheshire with a questioning expression. Positioning himself in a proper manner, Cheshire gave a fake smile and reached out a hand for the new ALICE to shake. " _ **Ecila**_ _ **, now's not the time to be speaking like that in front of older women. Welcome to Wonderland,**_ _ **ALICE**_ _ **.**_ " "Ecila? Wait, isn't that name-" "ALICE spelled backwards? Yes, it is." From there, everyone began discussing what Ecila's name meant and why it was given to only females in the Cheshire family and no other family throughout Wonderland's history. After some discussion time, Cheshire spoke up and flicked his tail towards Ecila; lightly patting her on the head as she scooted closer. " _ **But let's make this clear. There's no way an**_ _ **ALICE**_ _ **can ever become friends with an**_ _ **Ecila**_ _ **. Even if you tried with all of your might, it would be happily in vain.**_ " With this being said, yet another silence washed over the group. Cheshire yawned, indicating that he was clearly bored of idle chatter and he just wanted to go out and play a few pranks on his way back in the direction he came from. He lazily took a few steps back; since he'd rather be reclusive from any ALICE that happens to enter Wonderland, and he wanted to go quickly before the Hatter's cakes go cold. After a few more steps back, he grinned at the Rabbit. " _ **Have fun with little miss bloodbath~! Hehehehe~!**_ " After that, he vanished into what seems like nothing. His two siblings followed suit, and a small glimmer of light vanished from beside the Rabbit. " _Well._ " The Rabbit began, looking at ALICE with a small frown and backed away several feet. " _This is goodbye for now, I presume. Be careful with the Clockwork paths, and you shouldn't be in any trouble._ " With that, he disappears into the turning night. Even though she was overwhelmed by so many new faces, ALICE seemed more happy than worried. She giggled to herself and rubbed a spot slightly below her hip; a wide grin wiping across her face. "Hehehe… Welcome to Wonderland, hmm? How absolutely WONDERFUL. I'll be sure to have a thank you party worth the wait. I do hope they'll be patient with me until everything is ready to go."

 _ **Chapter One: END**_

That was more time consuming than I originally thought it was going to be… Oh well! At least I'm already working on Chapter 2 as of –literally- right now! No breaks for THIS girl! *internally cries* Any who, see you all in the next chapter~!

Extra note: I have links to other sites I am on in my profile, if you'd like to check that out :3


	2. Chapter 2 - The Rabbit

_**Chapter 2: The Rabbit**_

It hasn't been long since the kingdom became a playground of sorts. Many of the people that reside in the walls have plenty of liberties; such as going outside during the festivals and market shows that come up every year. There are also times where only those in the walls can come out during what it's kingdom's people call "gold showers". But there is an exception to this. Anyone that is invited to participate in what usually is restricted to the wealthy may do so. But under one condition… they _must_ be invited by the family of The Rabbit. Many call it ridiculous, but many people understand that it's just for their protection. Every year during the "gold shower", The Rabbit and The Cat usually discuss the terms of the treaties their ancestors had made many years ago. This year, however… " **Where on earth IS that cat!? He was supposed to show up an hour ago!** " It was more than an hour that had passed, sadly. The Rabbit queen was in a rage, pacing back and forth as the young prince stands aside. He looked at his watch, as he always had, and let out a small sigh of irritation. " **I mean, I must remember that he is new to this entire ordeal. It was supposed to be his father, but-** " " _Mother, that's quite enough. Do you not remember why we never question the prince's absence from the event?_ " The Rabbit let out a sigh once more, looking back at his watch. " _It is because he has enough trouble adjusting to the fact of being a king at such a young age. I wouldn't go off on him if I were you, saying as to the fact that you became queen when you married father when I was seven._ " Appalled, the queen looked at her step-son with furrowed brows. " **And what makes you think that YOU have any right to bring that up with ME? Do you not realize who my family is, you ungrateful-** " " _ **I'd say the only ungrateful one here is you, madam Emilia-**_ " Startled by the sudden voice, she turns towards the window; seeing the new king perching on the sill. " _ **You act like a spoiled little brat that didn't get what she wanted for the holiday because daddy didn't have the money.**_ " Saying this, Cheshire looked at the Rabbit and smiled his usual smile that somewhat made his stomach churn. "S _ **orry for being late, I seemed to have been mistaken in directions by the sound of a beast. What exactly are we supposed to discuss?**_ " Chuckling in spite of himself, the Rabbit handed Cheshire a small locket. After Cheshire had taken the locket, he began to explain the entire ordeal. Something in this seemed to spark his interest, since his tail began to flick back and forth in amusement. " _ **So, this is all basically a treaty signing so that we don't- well, in this instance-**_ _ **can't**_ _ **fight? Well, it sounds nice.**_ " He chuckled and kept eye contact with the Rabbit, giving the clear sign that his mother was not welcome in the conversation. The Rabbit, in turn, smiled back at Cheshire and cocked a brow. " _That's it? You're just agreeing to this without any conditions, or-_ " " _ **There is one, my dear little rabbit friend. If the Mad Hatter is not involved in any transactions between our allied kingdoms and the opposing ones. If he gets hurt because of it, I will annul the treaty without any hesitation.**_ " The rabbit queen looked and the Cheshire cat in both horror and disgust, hurling a lamp past his head as her rage built up quickly. " **How dare you threaten such a thing!? You-** " The younger rabbit stopped her in her place; raising his hand in warning. He looked the Cheshire cat dead in the eyes and spoke softly. " _Lukas, we both know that Crucive is not an idiot. He takes caution in everything he does, despite his status in the Reverse kingdom. After all, he is the Mad Hatter of Wonderland._ " He smiled, setting his arm to his side and continued on. " _Even if he were to get caught up in the ordeal, he would be perfectly fine. You know that as well as I do. Hell, you should know that_ _more_ _than I do._ " He laughed to himself as his cat friend began to blush in both embarrassment and awe of his dear Hatter. Just the thought of him being the only one to hold the title of The Mad Hatter made his tail swish back and forth with both happiness and something else. _What_ that something else is, he has no clue. Perhaps it was jealousy? Perhaps it was just amusement. He was never quite sure, but he could always make assumptions. " _ **I guess you're right, my dear rabbit. Maybe I should know more than you do. But I don't. Out of the two of us, you're the one that knows the most about him.**_ " He laughed and continued, slapping his leg as if to calm himself. " _ **In fact, I'd say you know a little**_ _ **too much**_ _ **to be just stating that. You know the**_ _ **facts**_ _ **, the**_ _ **figures**_ _ **. You know everything that he**_ _ **ignores**_ _ **. You should be proud of yourself, if anything at all.**_ " The rabbit, in both awe and horror, stares at the cat as he stands on the same ground as him. They stared at one another, sizing up each of each other's qualities. It was strange, how they could understand each other better than anyone else could by just looking. After all, they did grow up together in the kingdom of crystals before it was destroyed in the War. Yes, the War. It was only 10 years ago, but it felt like ages. There were things about that kingdom that everyone remembered; It's crisp, clean air, the beautiful, vibrant colors, it's tall, artistic structures… But there were parts of the kingdom that no one knew of besides those two. Those parts of the kingdom were a part of their memory and no one else's. They liked it that way. It was calming for them to know that they are the only ones that ever found those places, and the only ones that ever will. It was a nice bond for them; It kept them from fighting like others did. It kept them together… It kept them like brothers. The kingdom made them into brothers at heart, and the War made them inseparable. After some time, they both sighed and eased into abrupt laughter that scared even the bravest of butlers and maids. 'They don't understand what we do.' 'They won't try either. All of them are the same.' 'Maybe, but maybe not.' 'Give them a chance, I guess.' A million thoughts, and a million connections. Of course, Cheshire felt closer to the rabbit and Hatter than anyone else in Wonderland. And then he remembered her. The new ALICE. He jolted slightly, alerting the other instantly. " _Hey, are you alright? Did something happen?_ " He lightly patted Cheshire on the shoulder to catch his attention. " _You can tell me when anything's wrong. We're brothers, remember?_ " 'Brothers… Yeah, brothers. Nothing will change that, and I'm happy about that…' " _ **You remember the**_ _ **ALICE**_ _ **falling down here, right?**_ " A nod signaled him to continue. " _ **Well… I really do hope she dies. No matter what. She can't live. She has to die. She can't live here. If she does…**_ " " _Then all of our hard work uniting Wonderland would be for nothing._ " Silence swept through the room, filling it with a sense of unease. The rabbit gently rubbed his friends shoulder and smiled. " _Lukas, I understand that. And I'm with you on that. But just think about the consequences that come with that kind of thinking. It could get you into some serious trouble._ " Cheshire just looked at him with seemingly lifeless eyes. At that moment, the rabbit realized his mistake. He quickly removed his hand and lightly punched the other's arm. " _Hey, I'm sorry… I completely forgot your boundaries for a moment there…_ " He let his gaze fall to the marble floor before he looked off at the balcony. The view from there was beautiful; aside from the random flares of purple that lit up the sky every now and again. Maybe he wouldn't mind going back to before they were drained of their powers. He laughed to himself and looked back at the other. " _Things would have been different if we still had those powers, wouldn't it? No worries besides the occasional outbursts…_ " " _ **You seem to have forgotten just how much trouble that got us in the last time. Those outbursts would always draw in everything bad and make things shoot straight to Infernum. The last thing we need is for that to happen again. If it does, we won't be able to stop it like the elders did back when we were kids. It's impossible for us to.**_ " Before the rabbit could speak again, Chesire glared at him and grabbed his shoulder; tightening his grip so that he couldn't move without any risks. " _ **Shawn, we can't be like them. As much as you admire them, we can never be like them. It'll cause an uproar, it'll hurt people- It'll give**_ _ **ALICE**_ _ **an advantage due to the amount of power that it takes to get to their level.**_ " He let out a short yet sharp sigh and released the rabbit's shoulder. He then backed up towards the balcony until his lower back made contact with the golden bar. He smiled, and tilted his head to the side to show the full extent of how truly unhinged he could be. " _ **Well, I guess I'll be taking my leave.**_ " His eyes glew a sharp red as his grin became more worrisome. " _ **Later, my little rabbit friend.**_ " As he said this, he laughed hysterically and leaned over the bar; letting himself fall to the ground with a silent landing. Worried, the rabbit ran over and looked down, only to see his friend grinning and walking away; Humming a very familiar tune to his worried ears. He slipped back into his room, and sank down into a chair; taking silent, sharp breaths as he tries to hold back his excitement. " _Yes, my dear cat… The time is drawing near for a Fanfare. Let's just see how fun it will be after so many years…_ " He chuckled in spite of himself, rose to move to his bed, laid down, and blissfully fell asleep.

 _ **Chapter 2- END**_


	3. Chapter 3 - Ecila

_**Chapter 3: Ecila**_

"Brother still isn't home from the meeting…" The youngest of the three cats lazily swings her tail back and forth and sighs. The eldest walks over with a small tray of sweets and some strawberry tea. "He's probably just taking a walk around in the kingdoms. Perhaps because he just wants to see how they govern themselves." After placing the tray down, he shifted his gaze to the window that their sibling would usually be sitting in at this hour. A few sweets and two cups of tea later, Ecila looked in the same direction as her eldest brother. "Mizu, maybe Lu is spending some quality time with CruCru. Or bringing home some more sweets for me and a new sword for you." She chuckled at her own joke while he shot her a quick glare. He knew it was a joke, but he knew his brother well. He only brought home swords when he had seen a war; wars that broke out for seemingly no reason. For every sword he brought home, a new smile would wipe across Cheshires face… Of course, none of them were good. Some of them were to cut at the pain, while the rest were smiles filled with hatred towards the side that started wars in the first place. Nonetheless, Mizuki took care to clean and sharpen them any time they needed it. A few hours passed then, and he began to worry about his brother. "Ecila, can you sense him at all yet? Even slightly?" Ecila could hear the panic in her elder's voice, and she closed her eyes; sending out silent waves to search. She was tired, but she could still send the waves up to forty miles away. "Nothing. He's probably still at CruCru's. Or maybe he decided to run away from the throne to get away from the stress." " _ **Hey, talking about me behind my back is rude. Couldn't you guys wait until after I got home to discuss why I was late?**_ " An awkward silence washes throughout the room and both of them look at their sibling. 'Where was he?' 'How did he not get picked up by the sensor waves?' 'What is he, really?' This, of course, was just a few of the thoughts running through their heads as they stared at the Cheshire cat. "We would have waited, but it's well past Ecila's bedtime. Do you know how worried we were about-" " _ **Yeah, I know how worried**_ _ **you**_ _**were about me. Ecila could care less, she's really tired.**_ " Almost on cue, Ecila yawns and rubs her eyes. Seeing this, the eldest sighs and folds his arms. "Fine, you go put her to bed. But please come back here afterwards, we have a few things to discuss." Cheshire nods and walks over to their little sister; picking her up gently and beginning to walk out of the door to bring her to her room. But he stops in front of the door and looks back; his eyes glowing a faint red. " _ **I expect that we won't discuss anything about the throne, since it's reserved for the Hatter's acquaintance.**_ He pauses for a moment, then continues. " _ **Unless you want to upset the balance by taking it forcefully, which I know you wouldn't do to your family.**_ " Cheshire then walks away, leaving their brother to think over their upcoming discussion. After walking from the main area of their home to a far off room, Cheshire takes a moment to think about just how big their home really is. ' _ **It took me 45 minutes just to walk her to her room!? When the hell did our house get this big!?**_ ' ' _ **If it takes me 45 minutes to walk from the main section of our house to Ecila's room, then it'll take me another 45 to get back. That being said…**_ ' He stares blankly at the door for a moment. ' _ **I've used up 90 minutes of my life just to bring this lazy furball back to her room. Wow, way to go Lukas. You've finally done something stupid with your time. Would you like a prize? A metal, even?**_ 'Letting out a heavy sigh, he opens up the door and sets her in bed. He tucked her in and prepared to leave, when he felt her tug at his sleeve. "Lulu, be careful with Mizu. He's… fragile…" Without another word, Ecila curls up under her covers and falls asleep. He sighed, flicking his tail back and forth in irritation as he left the room. " _ **Jeez… When did she get so… lazy?**_ " He thought back on how energetic she used to be when she was a few years younger for a short while, then gave up on the thought altogether. " _ **It's probably my imagination… anyway, Mizuki's probably getting super impatient by now, I should take the shortcut.**_ " Curving his lips into a smile, he disappeared into the scenery around him. In a short while, the two brothers were alone. Mizuki sighed as his brother gave him an unamused look, flicking his tail quickly. "Luke, you should really calm down. This isn't about the stupid crown anymore, it's about your health." He takes a deep breath and continues, now having his brothers full attention. "I know that you've been on edge ever since the first ALICE incident. I know that you won't let go of the past, even if it kills you, because it's the only thing you can hold onto without having to worry about it slipping away. But it's not healthy for you, Ecila and I are worried about you…" " _ **Oh, is that a fact?**_ " Lukas quickly cuts in, his voice becoming bittersweet. " _ **Because last I checked, neither of you were there to see half of the crap that happened back there. Neither of you cared to come and check on me when Crusive was in the hospital and I refused to leave him alone. Hell, you guys didn't even know I existed until dad died.**_ " He balled up his fists, beginning to shake in frustration. " _ **The only people that knew I even existed before that was Crusive and-**_ " "The princess of Spades, I know." In a mild confusion, Lukas looks at Mizuki. " _ **How did you-**_ " "I had a conversation with her while Ecila and I were worrying about you. She's a nice girl and all, but don't you find it the least bit strange that she still had that golden flower bracelet you gave her?" An awkward silence washed over the room in an instant, consuming any amount of malice in the air. The two brothers stared at each other, wondering what exactly possessed her to do so. After all, she is the princess of Spade; The tough war hero that everyone wanted to be at some point in their lives. What about that bracelet was so important to her that she wouldn't throw it away for something more suiting? 'Oh well, some things never change.' They thought as they both let out a long sigh. A few moments passed, and Mizuki began to appear tired. " _ **Why don't you go to bed, Mizu? If you don't, you won't be able to function properly.**_ " His sleepy eyes narrowed as he looked at his younger brother. "Oi, I'm the elder here. If anything, you should be getting to bed about now." Sudden laughter erupted from Lukas, making Mizuki grimince in irritation. " _ **You're only older by a few minutes! And besides, I stay awake all the time! After all…**_ " He smiles his usual twisted smile and inched closer. " _ **It takes a man to sleep, but it takes a god to fight without rest.**_ " He then kisses his shocked brother on the forehead and chuckled. " _ **Anyway, you should head to your room. If Ecila finds out you didn't sleep, she'd most likely end us both out of frustration.**_ " "You're right, I guess. But could you at least pretend like you're asleep?" Mizuki stares at Lukas for a moment, expecting a reply. But all he received was a small shrug. Nothing else was said from either of them as they walked back to their rooms. Both doors shut, but one seemed to have cracked open. "It's strange how much they work well together, despite them pretending that they hate each other thing. Then again..." Ecila steps out of her room, her eyes glowing a dim pink in the darkness of the hall. "They might actually hate each other. That's what I think, anyway." She sighs and protrudes back into her room and closes the door behind her, walking over to her bed to look under it. 'Where did that thing go…? It was just here not too long ago… I wonder if I'd find it in my dreams like my other treasures…' Saying this, she climbed back into bed and shut her eyes. 'It's time to go back to Wonderland.' She thought as she finally drifted off to sleep.

 _ **Chapter 3:END**_

 _ **Well... That took way longer to put this up then I had hoped (Stupid internet, always getting ruined by weird weather...) But hey, at least I updated! Haha... Yeah, whatever. I know this was short, but I'm working on a really long Chapter 4. Hope to see you there!**_


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